Means for molding commutator brushes



Nqv. l0, 1931. n. c. SHEARER 1,831,144

MEANS FOR MOLDING COMMUTATOR BRUSHES` Filed May 11. 1929 8 sheets-sheet 1 w uw 'www

Nov. 10, 1931. D. c. sHEARl-:R 1,831,144

MEANS FOR MOLDING COMMUTATOR BRUSHES Filed May 11. 1929 8 Sheets-Sheet 2 gwuwwkor/ Pa/l C. Shearer Nov. 10, 1931. D. c. SHEARER 1,831,144

MEANS FOR MOLDING COMMUTATOR BRUSHES 1 Filed May l1. 1929 8 Sheets-Sheet' 3 Swix/W110i .a// C. Shearer Nov. l0, 1931. D. c. SHEARER MEANS FOR MOLDING COMMUTATOR BRUSHES Filled May ll, 1929 8 Sheets-Sheet 4 Nov. 10, 1931. D. c. sHEARER A MEANS FOR MOLDING COMMUTATOH BRUSHES Filed May ll. 1929 8 Sheets-Sheet 5 Wm #w M M Vw Nov. 10, 1931. D. c. VSHEARER MEANS FOR MOLDING COMMUTATOR BRUSHES Filed May 11. 1929 8 Sheets-Sheet 6 pd/' C Shearer Nov. l0,I 1931. D. c. SHEARER MEANS FOR MOLDING COMMUTATOR BRUSHES Filed May ll, 1929 8 Sheets-Sheet '7 Nov. i0, 1931. D. c. sHr-:ARER

MEANS FOR MOLDING COMMUTATOR BRUSHES Filed May l1, 1929 8 Sheets-Sheet 8 Patented Nov. 10, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE. f

DALL C. SHEARER, F DAYTON, OHIO, .ASSIGNOR TO DELCO-REMY CORPORATION, 0F i ANDERSON, INDIANA, A CORPORATIQN OF DELAWARE MEAN SFOR MOLDING COMMUTATOR BRUSHESk Application filed May 11,

This invention relates 'to molding or .briquetting machines, and the like, wherein the resulting molded article has a wire partially embedded therein.

` An object of this invention is to provide a briquet-ting machine for briquetting commutator brushes and the like from a briquettable material and simultaneously partially embed 1a short length of wireV within the 1o briquetted brush or similar article. y n

A more specific object is to provide such a machine having automatic means for cuttingV otl the required short lengths of wire from j a relatively long wire and having automatic 1.1 means for partially embedding such shortk wires within the formed articles.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be'apparent from the following description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, wherein a preferred form of embodiment of the present vinvention is clearly shown.

` In the drawings:

Figs. 1, 2, 3, and 4c are detail views illus-` trating the operation of the` forming plunger supporting the short lengths of wire and the ejecting punch for removing the briquetted commutator brush from the die cavity. Fig.

. 1 shows the die cavity loosely lilled with the briquettable material and the forming plunger at the top of its stroke. Fig. 2 shows the forming plunger moving down andcompressing the material. Fig. 8 shows, the forming plunger at the bottom of its stroke after the 3" upper ends of the wires have been cut olf.

Fig. 4 shows the briquetted brush fully `ej ected from the die cavity by the lower ejecting punch.

Fig. 5 is a brush. v

Fig. 6 is a side elevationof the main portion of the briquetting machine.

Fig. 7 is a front elevation of the machine of Fig. 6.

Fig. 8 is a detail view showing how the wire severing mechanism cuts off the required short length of wire during the down stroke of the forming plunger and thereafter backs up the upper end of the short wire to withperspective view of the formed 1929. serial No. esalta.

stand the upward force exerted upon the wire by the highly compressed-material.

Fig. 9 1s a front view of Fig. 8, the forming f plunger in both Figs. 8 and the bottom of its stroke. n

Fig. 10 is a side view Ona larger scale than shown in Fig. f6 of the wire vfeeding mechanism which feeds the wire down through the forming plunger only when said plunger is on its up stroke.

Fig. 11 is a front Vview of the wire feeding mechanism of Fig.; 10 looking inthe direction of arrow 11 of Fig. 10.

Fig. 12 is a view of the ywire feeding mechanism looking in the direction of arrow 12 of Fig. 10. Y l Similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

Referring to Figs. 1 to 4 inclusive, 10 des- 2., I0 i ignates the reciprocatable forming plunger, 11 the stationary die having the die cavity 12, and 13 the reciprocatable ejecting punch. Plunger 10 has two longitudinal apertures 14 therein within which the two wires, or preferably wire cables, 15 lit quite snugly, but can be projected therethrough by means hereafter described until their lower ends 16 Vproject beyond the plunger'end the distance desired to be embedded within the brush to be briquetted. In Fig. 1 die cavity 12-is shown loosely lilled with the material 17 which is to be briquetted to form the brush, preferablyv comprising metallic copper powder and graphite with or without other material. In Fig. 2 plunger 10 has just begun compressing the material 1 7, the lower projecting ends lof the wi res having easily embedded themselvesI within the loose material 17 during the 9 being shown at first portion of the compression. In Fig. 3 j

' er, and hence the wire ends 16 are held in place and embedded within the highly compressed material after having been first inserted within said material while it is in such loose form as not to bend over the wire ends 16. In Fig. a the forming plunger 1 0 has been first raised out of the way leaving the wires 15 fixed to the brush 18 and the ejecti ng punch 13 has been then forced up by means hereafter described. and ejected-the brush 18 wi'f h its attached wires 15 from the die cavity to the position shown flush withthe top surface of die 11. From this position the molded brush is pushed aside by the laterally swinging cavity-filling shoe 21 (see Fig. 6) as it moves over the surface of die 11 to bring its duct 22 into registration with the cavity 12 to refill same for the next molding operation.

Punch 13 is returned rapidly to its bottom position while the shoe 21 is swinging into registration with cavity 12 and thus the parts are brought back to position shown in Fig. 1 ready for another cycley The fundamental features of the device having now been thus related, one form of mechanism for performing these operations will be described. Referring to Figs. 6 and 7, this machineincludes a base which supports a vertically extending frame 61 providing bearings 62 and 63 for a power-driven shaft 64 carrying a crank pin 65'. Crank pin 65 is connected with a cross-head'pin 66 by means including' a connecting rod 67. An adjustable eccentric bushing 68 is interposed between the upper'bearing of theconnecting rod 67 and crank pin 65 (see Fig. 7) in order to permit adjustment of the throw of crank pin 65. Pin 66 has a bearing within the crosshead 69 ywhich is slidab'le between the crosshead guides 70 and 71 supported by the main frame 61. The lower end of crosshead 69 has rigidly bolted thereto by bolts 73 abl'ock 7 2 (see Figs. 7 and 9). A knife head is rigidly fixed to the bottom of block 72 by two screws 76 (see Figs. 7, 8 and 9). The forming plungerJO is rigidly fixed to the bottom of knife head 75 by two screws 77. It will now be clear that plunger 10 is rigidly fixed to crosshead 69 and is reciprocated bv the rotation of the power-driven shaft 611.

A Fig. 8).

The shearing knife 2O slides to and fro within the knife 'head 75, being actuated by a camfroller 81 and astationary vertical cam slot 8O within a barfixed'toframe 61 (see When crosshead 69 is in its top position as 'shown in Fig. 6, knife 20 is moved to the right by the cam roller 81 and cam slot 80. In this position the two wire apertures 82 lin, knife 2O are aligned with the corresponding apertures 14 in plunger 10 'and also with the two wire apertures 83 leading angularly upward through block 72.

During the up movement of crosshead 69, the two long wires 85 are fed down by means also of course Ythe knife 20 and plunger 10.

Plunger 10 enters die cavity 12 as described above, the wire ends 16 embedding themselves easily in the loose powder material with which cavity 12 has been filled. When cam roller 81 reaches the cam portion 84 dur ing .its down movement, the knife 2O is moved suddenly tothe left (as seen in Fig. 8)' causing it to shear off the two short wire lengths 15 upon wires 85 and, after so doing, knife 20 remains in position over the upper ends of wires 15 for the remainder of the pressure. stroke, thereby preventing wires 15 from being forced up through lholes 14 inplunger 10 by the high pressure within the material 17 being molded. The wire ends 16 are therefore firmly embedded within the completely formed brush 18 which is shown in Figs. 8 and 9. Plunger 10 is immediately withdrawn from the die cavity 12, but the formed brush 18 is held in place by its pressure upon the cavity walls and brush 18 in turn pulls the short wires 15 from their snugly fitting holes 14 in plunger 10 when said plunger moves up. As soon as sufficient clearance occurs, the brush18 is ejected from the ldie cavity by the ejecting punch 13 which is forced up by its actuating lever Ll() whose bifurcated end engages the cam faces of the large nuts 32 and 33 adjust-ably fixednpon the largeV threaded shank 31. The lower end of punch 13 is rigidly fixed to the head 29 integral with the threaded shank 31. Head 29 is suitably guided in its up movement by the stationary guide bearing 28 depending from the die table 19. rl`he lever 10 is actuated by a cam groove 89 on the power-driven shaft 64; which ree ceives a cam roller 91 attached to a bell-crank lever 92which is pivoted at 93 upon a portion of the main frame 61. Levers 92 and 40 are connected by a link 94. including a turnbuckle 95 to permit the proper adjustment of the bifurcated end of lever 410 with respect to the cam surfaces of the two cam nuts 32 and 33. i

The powder material is introduced into the molding cavity 12 through the duct 22 in the shoe 21 which is supported upon the smooth top surface of die table 19 and pivots about the pin a. Shoe 2'1 is swung about pivot 80a to bring duct 22 into registration with die cavity 12 at the proper time for vlling same and is then swung laterally away to clear `the path of the plunger 10 upon its descent. Shoe 21 is actuated by a cam groove crosshead`69 pinion 108 and its entire supported l pressed 90 upon the power'driven shaft 64, a cooperating lever 123 having a cam'roller 122 riding within groove 90 andhavlng av fined pivot at 121 on the main frame Y61,- and a link 124, in sucha manner that the lower end of the powder duct 22 will be brought into regis'- tration'with die cavity 12 and then the en-` tire shoeV 21 will be given several lateral shakes bythe shape of the cam groove 90 in order to insure that the powder will not clog in they delivering ducts and will fill die cavity 12 level full las shown in Fig. 1. Then shoe 21 is swung about pivot pin 80a to clear the :path of the plunger 10 as stated above. During the swinging movement of shoe 21 into registration with cavity 12, the side surface thereof will engage the previously molded brush 18 when in its ejected position shown in Fig.l 4 and shove it laterally across the top of die table 19 into a suitably located receptacle.v p

Referring now to Figs. 10, 11 and 12, the wirel feeding mechanism will now be described.l 4A bracket 100 is rigidly fixed to the reciprocating crosshead- 69 by the four screws 101. A horizontal shaft 102 is mounted in bearing 103 in bracket 100 (see Fig. 12) and has keyed to the left end thereof a gear 104v and a plain-faced wire feed-roll 105. Shaft 102 supports at its 'right hand a gear 106loose upon said shaft, and a rocket wheel 107'keyed to saidv shaft. Gear 106v meshes with a rack pinion 108 (see Fig. 10) which in` turn meshes with a4 stationary rack 110 whichis fixed to a stationary part of the Vma-y chine by two bolts 109. When bracket 100 mechanismk reciprocates up and down with thefcrosshead 69, pinion 108 rides upon rack 110 and so causes gear 106 to rotate loosely upon shaft 102 first in one direction and then the other. 106 has fixed thereto a pawl bracket 111 see Figs. 10 and 11) upon which the spring that 1t cooperates with ratchet wheel 107. It will now'be clear that when crosshead 69 is on its lip-stroke, pinion 108 will be rotated by rack 110 in the direction of the arrow in Fig. 10, loose gear 106 together with its supported pawl 112 will also be rotated, and hence the ratchet wheel 107 and shaft 102 together with the gear 104 and feed roll 105 will all be rota-ted in thev directions shown by the arrows in Figs. 10 and12.k 0n

and loose gear 106 will be rotated in the reverse direction, but the spring pressed pawl .112 will merely slide over the teeth of ratchet wheel 107 which will be held stationary by a friction device 1.15 (see Figs. 10 and 12). The friction device comprises a friction rubbing block 116 held forced against the ratchet Vwheelf107 by coilspring 117 which mayhave its compressionadjusted by the screw plug 11,8 and give Gear pawl 112 is pivotally supported so the down-stroke of4 the desired holding power without excessive friction upon wheel 107. Y

When pawl 112 is rotated clockwise (as seen in Fig. 10) it will ride up lupon a nonrotating cam 120 after about a quarter of a revolution and thereafterbe lifted from con-` Y tact with its ratchet 107. Upon counterclockwise rotation of pawl 112 it will at first merely slide upon cam 120 until it slides oli' the tip thereof, after whichit engagesv and rotates the ratchet 107. .Cam .120 has ani arcuate adjustment uponits supporting bracket 119 indicated by the three-.arcuatey slots 121 and their cooperating screws, and by this adjusting means the angle'through which ratchet 107 is-turned during each upstroke of crosshead 69-may besimply adjusted. l

Gear 104 fixed the urge of the coilcompression spring 142*l which -is seated within a suitablel recess in bracket 100 and bears directly against bear-y ing block 140 tending Vtofforce'block 140 and its supported shaft 126 away from shaft 102. The grooved feed roll-130,.which cooperates with the plain feed roll 105, is keyed to shaft 126 and is rotated thereby through gears 104 and 125. Roll 130 has two peripheral grooves 131 which receive the twozwires 85 as they pass between the cooperating rolls105 and 130 whereby the -proper amount of driving friction between thewires vand feed rolls vis obtained. This driving frictionfmay be adjusted as desired by adjusting screw 141 which moves shaft 126'and the grooved feed roll 130 relative to roll 105. The tw'o wires 85 pass downto the feed rolls through parallel guiding holes 135 inthe guide block 136 `fixed to a portion of bracket 100 (see Figs. 10 and 11). Fromy feed rolls '105 and 130 the wires 85 pass down through the two parallel holes 137 thence into thealigned holes 83 in block 72 previously described l(see Fig. 8). It will now be clear ythat upon each up-stroke yof crosshead 69 the Vtwo wires 85 will be fed down by the feed rolls 105 and130 a predetermined distance, which distance may be adjusted as desired 120 which governs the action of the ratchet pawl 112, as described above.` This distance of feedis adjustedto equal the short wire lengths 15 which are cut off by knife '20. Hence after each molding operation as soon asfknife 20 is returned' to its normal position by the cam slot during the up-stroke,lthe two wires are fed down through the aligned holes83, 82 and 14 untiltheir lower ends 16 to shaft 102 at its left endV as seen in Fio. 12 mesheswith a ear 125,

e j g in the conduit. 138 and` bythe setting of the cam again proj ectbelovv the lower end of plunger 10 the desired distance, as heretofore de'- scribed. j

When knife 2() moves to the left as seen in Fig. 8 to shear loff the Wire lengths' l5, the lower ends of the long Wires are slightly bent in the apertures 82, ivhich are slotted out for the purpose as clearly shown. However, when knife 2O returns to its normal posi tion the straight sides of slots 8:2 again straighten the bent Wire ends to align said ends perfectly with the holes in plunger 10 so that there can be no ledge or shoulder' Which can obstruct the proper down-move-k ment of the Wires 85. It is to be understood that the Wires as herein termed, are not ordinarily singlestrands, but are preferably quite iieXible multiple strand cables, such as are commonly used for the flexible connectors on commutator brushes.

It is obvious that, if desired, the mechalnism herein illustrated and described may be easily modified to mold a brush with only one flexible connector embedded therein instead of tivo. Y

While the form of embodiment of the present invention asherein disclosed, constitutes a preferred form, it is to be understood that other forms might beadopted, all coming Within the 'scope of the claims which follow.

That is claimed is as follows.

l. ,A molding machine for forming commutator brushes andthe like having a Wire connector imbedded therein, comprising: a die having a die cavity therein open at both ends, an ej ecting punch extending Within and closing one end of said cavity, means for filling said cavity with moldable material, a reciprocating plunger having an aperture therethrough, means for feeding the end of a long Wire through said aperture' so that the Wire end projects beyond the plunger end, said plunger and projecting Wire being operable to proj ect together Within the other open end of said cavity to compress and mold the material therein whereby the projecting Wire end is embedded Within the molded brush, means for severing the Wire While in said aperture and means for moving the ejccting punch to eject the molded brush and embedded Wire together from the die cavity.

2. A molding machine for forming com- Y. mutator brushes and the like having a Wire connector imbeddedV therein, comprising: a

die having a cavity, a forming plunger movable into said cavity and having an aperture therethrough, means for feeding a Wire through said aperture and projecting beyond the plunger end, means for severing said wire after being so fed into said aperture, and

means for forcing said plunger and proj ect-V ingwire into said cavity to mold material therein and. cause the projecting portion of said Wirev to be imbedded within the molded material. i

` 3. A molding machine for forming comf mutator brushes and the like having a wire connector imbeddedtherein, comprisin a die having a die cavity therein open at goth ends, an ej ecting punch extending within'and closing one end of said cavity, means for filling said cavity with moldable material, a reciprocating plunger having a longitudinal aperture therethrough, means for feeding a Wire into said aperture until the Wire pro-A jects beyond the plunger end, means for forcing said plunger and projecting wire into said cavity to mold-material therein under high pressure and cause said wire to be par# tially embedded Within the molded material, means for severing said Wire and backing up the severed Wire end prior to high pressure exerted by said plunger, and means for mov-V ing the ejecting punch to eject thel moldedarticle and embedded Wireas a unit'.

t. In a machine of the characterdescribed, in combination, a die having a cavity, areciprocating forming plunger movable into and out of said c'avity and having a longitudinal aperture therein, means for intermittently feeding one end of a Wireithrough said aperture until the Wire end projects beyond the plunger end, means for cutting off a suitable length of said Wire-While with? in said aperture and backing up the-severed end thereof, and means for forcing saidv plunger and projecting Wire into said cavity to mold material therein and cause the proj ecting end of said Wire to be embedded within the molded material. i

5. In a machine of the character described,-

in combination, a die havingal cavity, a reciprocating forming plunger movable into and out of said cavity and having a longitu` dinal aperture therein, means for intermittently feeding one end of a wire through said aperture until the wire end projects beyond the plunger end when said forming plunger isV on its out stroke, means for cutting off aV suitable length of said wire'while Within said aperture and backing up the severed end thereof, and means for forcing said plunger and projecting Wire into said cavity to mold material therein and cause the projecting end of said Wire to be embedded Within thev molded material. j

6. In a machine of the character described, in combination, a die having a cavity, a reciprocating forming plunger movable into and out of said cavity and having a longitudinal aperture therein, meansv for intermittently feeding one end of a Wire through said aperture until the Wire end projects beyond the plunger end when said forming plunger aperture and backing up the severed end thereof when said plunger is on its instroke,A

and means for forcing said plunger and projecting Wire into said cavity to mold material therein and cause the projecting end of said Wire to be embedded Within the molded material.

7. In a briquetting machine of the character described, in combination, a die having a cavity, means for filling said cavity loosely with briquettable material, a reciprocating forming plunger movable into and out of said cavity and having a longitudinal aperture therein, means for intermittently feeding one end of'a Wire through said aperture until the Wire end projects beyond the plunger end, means for cutting olf a suitable length of said Wire While Within said aperture and backing up the severed end thereof, and means for forcing said plunger and projecting Wire into said cavity to briquette the material therein and cause the projecting end of said Wire to be embedded Within the formed briquette.

In testimony whereof I hereto affix my DALL C. SHEARER.

Y signature. 

